Eye of God

Description[]

Eye of God is the fourth scenario of the Asian Campaign in Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest.

Briefing[]

Time is critical. Our colonists on Mars need supplies. Without resources they cannot build the colony, without resources they will not survive. A colony has to be established before competing nations claim all the mineral-rich territories, leaving UFAR an impoverished state. They key to success is the Space Dock. It is the colonists' lifeline. The remote Mongolian Steppes are not monitored by spy satellites, and should help keep the facility a secret. But we must be ever vigilant. If our adversaries - like the Western European Alliance - learn of the facility, they will most certainly attempt to stop us.

Then there's the Eye of God. Their fanaticism endures numerous attempts to thwart them. They cannot see that space is our salvation, not our damnation. Even now they lurk in the desert, waiting for an opportunity to strike at the heart of the Space Program. If the Space Dock is destroyed, the colonists won't last long on their own. It must be protected at all costs.

Objectives[]

Use the Alliance & Tributes Screen to dispatch materials to the Mars Colony. There are many different resources available in the area. The resources will be processed in Carbon Refineries, so the type of resources sent doesn't matter - only the amount.
Rebuild / repair the Space Dock as necessary.
Rebels bases cannot be neutralized unless their fortresses are destroyed.
Dispatch 10,000 resources to establish the Mars colony.
Assist Japan by donating 1000 in raw materials.
Assist Japan by donating 10 military units. Dispatch them to the debarking platform for pick-up.
Dispatch 10,000 more resources to complete construction of the Mars colony.

History[]

With several countries preparing to colonize Mars, the race for space was well underway. No one wanted or expected UFAR to be a legitimate contender among these competing nations. But the Federation understood that if it was to endure, it must strike out into space in order to find the resources necessary for survival.

After several catastrophes befell their Space Program - both accidental and intentional - UFAR reevaluated its plans in earnest. It was decided that the program would benefit by maintaining a much lower profile. Money, material, and manpower were applied with great discretion.

Towards the end of the 21st century, construction of a space facility was started in the desolate Mongolian Steppes. All of the Federation's aspirations depended on the successful completion of this project. The facility would open a supply line into space, allowing UFAR to establish a large colony on Mars.

Once the colony was completed, it would be able to sustain itself. But in its infancy, the colony was vulnerable, and completely dependent on supplies from Earth.

Hints[]

A large amount of resources will need to be gathered quickly. To give resources to the colony, go to the Alliances & Tribute screen. Remember that some resources will be lost in the transaction, so more resources have to be gathered than the colony actually requires.
Populate your settlements for increased efficiency.
The rebel factions have fled to the wasteland, from which they launch guerilla raids. To prevent them from harassing supply lines, the resource points will have to be well defended, or the rebel bases will have to be found and eliminated.

Storyline[]

The Mongolian Steppes. Nomads still wander this desert, as their ancestors have in generations past.

A dry, inhospitable land where only the most rugged people would choose to live.

To look at it, one would think it had not changed in centuries.

It is ironic that such a symbol of Asia's past should become the portent of its future.

It is also a great irony that this desert, choked with dust, is not so different from the vast landscapes that cover Mars.

Gleaming pillars stretch skyward, pointing to the distant red planet which holds a nation's hopes.

But even as we were poised to reach up into space, our adversaries stared back, reaching down to stop us.

Our secret facility was clearly not so secret.

Had our first pioneers known that their only lifeline had been destroyed by the time they had reached the new world, would they still have found the courage to take the journey?

More importantly, can we reopen that lifeline in time to save them?

Commander: 60 minutes remaining to deliver the resources to our colonists.

10,000 Resources are needed to establish the Mars Colony.

An attack on the rebel base is made.

1000 resources were recovered from the Rebel base.

The rebel base is destroyed.

Commander: Our allies need assistance. They are requesting that we send troops to help fight the Western European Alliance.

Commander: Have troops report to the debarkation area. Allied ships will pick them up and transport them to the front lines.

Commander: 45 minutes remaining to deliver the resources to our colonists.

Troops have been sent to our allies - and just in time! They helped fend off an attack that would have threatened our borders.

Commander: Resources can't be sent to the colonists without a working space dock.

An attack is made on another rebel base, which is subsequently destroyed.

Commander: The root of Rebel opposition has been eliminated. There are some reports of scattered resistance, but it's unlikely to amount to much.

A space dock is constructed.

Commander: We have gathered the resources required by the colonists. Use the Alliances & Tributes Screen to dispatch materials to the colony. The resources will be processed in Carbon Refineries, so the type of resources doesn't matter - only the amount.

Over 8000 resources have been sent the Mars Colony so far.

Over 9000 resources have been sent the Mars Colony so far.

Construction of the Mars Colony is underway. They will need 10000 more resources to complete construction.

Commander: 30 minutes remaining to deliver the resources to our colonists.

Commander: The colonists have received the resources and are now beginning the final phase of construction of the Mars colony.

UFAR has gained a foothold on the Planet Mars. Our colonists are to be commended for their tireless efforts and continuing bravery in the new frontier. Soon mighty factories will rise above the red landscape, generating plentiful resources for our nation and our people. The Federation has weathered some truly turbulent events. But now that we have established ourselves as an international - indeed, an interplanetary power, we can look forward to prosperous times and opportunities as limitless as space itself.

Walkthrough[]

Attention: Do not read if you wish to solve the scenario on your own.

Begin by purchasing two range improvements for your Colossus Artilleries at the desert base, training 3 Spectre AT Helicopters, setting the Airport's rally point to that base so you avoid enemies along the way, and setting all your Citizens to collect the local Wood and the Forage Patch to the northeast of the map, at the main base. You do not need to wait until all the Helicopters are complete, one at a time should be enough.

While they are being produced, select all your Guardians at the main base and position them in the grey square near the RADAR Center. This will bring a Japanese allied helicopter later on that will collect them, preventing you from suffering a surprise attack. Once one AT Helicopter has been produced, take it from the Desert base along with your Artilleries and Tanks and head west of the base until you're close to cliffs. Have your Artilleries positioned in the middle, and your Tanks protecting them from the sides, as enemy Gladiator Tanks and Pandoras will appear from these directions (South and possibly North). Select your Spectre Helicopter and go further to the west until you see the first enemy Fortress. For reference, going west from the Cyber Factory in your Desert base will lead you right to the Fortress. Your helicopter will be taken down by the AA Missile Towers, so quickly select the Colossus Artilleries and fire at the Fortress before it gets off your Line of Sight. When the Fortress is destroyed, you will receive a message saying that 1000 resources have been recovered from the Rebel base.

You can then advance to the next base with your new Spectre Helicopter, whose production is probably already completed. Move your army to the north and then follow the path west of the Iron Ore that will be spotted nearby. Stop when you see two guyots. For reference, the next rebel Fortress can be easily spotted by going north, starting from the ruins of the Rebel Tank Factory that was at the base you've just destroyed. Once you find it, repeat the process by attacking the Fortress with the Artilleries. Once the Fortress is destroyed, make sure the enemies around have been eliminated as well and then head back towards the next base, by going south of your current location. Pay attention to the map, as an oyster shaped object can be found near the cliffs when the ground starts to descend. By using your third Spectre Helicopter to go south from that very object, you'll end up right at the last Fortress. Position your Artilleries properly, destroy it and eliminate the remaining enemies in the area. Now you should be safe to collect all the resources in the scenario.

Build your Citizens and have them gather every single resource (make sure to populate your Settlements into Town Centers too, as you will get a drop-off bonus for doing so) and wait until you have enough to send to the Mars Colony (10,000 in total), but do not do it before building a Space Dock. Select one or more Citizens and move them to the lower right corner of the map (make sure the path is clear of threats before doing so), where an AA Missile Tower and two Skywatcher AAs can be spotted. Build a few more AA Towers there (4 in total should be enough) and then a Space Dock.

After this, you can dispatch the resources through the Alliances & Tributes screen (Icon of a handshake at the top left corner of the screen) and the cutscene should play. 10,000 more resources will have to be sent to the colony. You're most likely just going to need to wait until you have enough resources again, so be sure to always repair the Space Dock when needed (it cannot function if not near 100% HP) and to send ten Guardians to your allies when requested, otherwise you will be attacked by the European Alliance. An important note is that there is a bug that freezes some Guardians sent in excess, so if, for example, you have ten Guardians ready for extraction and one of them is frozen, the game might not detect the frozen Guardian and you will be attacked anyway. Managing these two aspects should be enough for you to beat the scenario.

Alternative walkthrough[]

Briefing[]

Objectives: gather resources for your Mars colony before the time limit expires, support your Japanese ally with troops so that your common enemy cannot break through to you, and deal with the Rebels so they do not interfere with these objectives.
Difficulty: This scenario is the easiest and shortest of the Asian Campaign, if you know what to do, and can be won without any casualties. We have a time limit of 60 minutes for the first resource delivery and thereafter one of 30 minutes for the second. We can build very few buildings and few units - but we are in the Nano Age and do not need much.
Enemies: the Eye of God, seemingly only in the Digital Age now (with Tanks, Artillery, infantry and Cybers), and the European Alliance, which is in the Space Age and attacks our Space Dock with Space Fighters from a Space Carrier.
Our Bases: You have three bases: a main base in the east, a secondary base in the center of the map and a third one at the western edge of "space".
Our Buildings: Barracks, Tank Factory, Siege Factory, Airport, Hospital, Town Center
Our Units: Tanks, Artillery, Guardians, Skywatchers, Citizens
Upgrades: are allowed again
Civ points: no one distributed
Tactics: This walkthrough assumes that you are familiar with basic tactics

Enemy units and possible counters[]

Gladiator Tanks: AT Guns, Spectres, Centurion Tanks and Colossus Artillery
Paladin Cannons: Guardians, Tanks, and Artillery
Hyperion (Anti-Infantry, Anti-Tank): AT Guns, Artillery
Pandora (Anti-Infantry): Tanks, Artillery
Towers (range 7): Artillery
Space Fighters: Skywatchers, AA Missile Towers

Starting unit overview[]

Total

20 Centurion Tanks
5 Artillery
33 Guardians
20 Citizens

Main base

10 Tanks
28 Guardians, of these 12 at the debarkation area

Center base

10 Tanks
5 Artillery
2 Skywatchers
5 Guardians

Dock base

2 Skywatchers
1 AA Missile Tower

Phase 0: Reconnaissance[]

Save after the start of the scenario
Set every unit to "Explore" mode until you can see most of the map
Save, so you later can see the explored map whenever you wish
Reload the first save game and continue with the scenario

Phase 1: Rebel bases and resources[]

There is clearly a best way to deal with the rebels: they send a lot of attack waves if you do not destroy their bases, their destruction is easily done (if you know what to do) and every destroyed rebel base will be automatically looted for 1,000 resources (at least that is what the in-game message claims). That is what you do immediately after the start, and after 15 minutes you will be done with them.

At the same time, start the resource gathering. Pause the game with F3.

Economy[]

Resource potential: 3 food patches with 300.000 units each, 2 gold patches, 2 iron patches, 2 stone patches, around 6 locations with forests.

Suggested development (roughly in that order):

Phase 1:

Start: Settlement at the forest near the debarkation area
Start: Settlement at the food patch north of the debarkation area
Start: Settlement at the forest east of the northern tower
Settlement between the two forest patches northeast of the northern tower
Settlement at the forest east of the University

Phase 2:

Settlement at the food patch south of the Airport
Settlement at the food patch northwest of the Capitol
Town Center at the stone patch west of the Barracks
Town Center at the stone patch southwest of the Airport (at the southern edge of the map)
Settlement at the forest near the Hospital
Town Center at the iron patch northeast of the center base
Town Center at the gold patch east of the center base
Town Center at the gold patch northeast of the center base
Town Center at the iron patch southeast of the center base

Populate Settlements to Town Centers only when they are at iron, gold and stone patches – the gathering bonus does not affect food and wood.

In the Capitol, research the bonuses for iron and gold gathering as soon as you build the first Settlement there.

Defense[]

Building units: do not build military units! It may seem seductive to build AT Guns and Spectre AT Helicopters against the enemy Tanks and Cybers, but you do not need them if you play your cards right, and these investments would only slow down your resource gathering.

Upgrades: Immediately after the start, do the basic upgrades for Tanks (1x range, 1x attack, 1x hit points) and for Artillery (1x range, 1x attack). They are cheap and it strengthens your main units enough to crush the rebels. You can give your Guardians 1x range, 1x attack if you want; it helps a little, but does not make a big difference, but since it is cheap it does not hurt.

Healing: You have a Hospital in the east of the main base. Retreat units which have around 50% damage or where you can predict that they got already too much enemy attention and send them here to heal.

Attacking the rebels[]

Immediately at the start, pause the game, group your units and send the 10 Tanks, 5 Guardians and 5 Artillery of the center base to one of the rebel bases (see suggested order below). Leave the Skywatchers there, as they have no use here and you will need them later somewhere else.
Simultaneously send the 10 Tanks and 10 Guardians of the main base to the center base. Do not touch the ones at the debarkation area; use the ones in front of the Barracks.

The rebel bases are located in a semi-circle around your center base. They have identical defenses. A useful order is to begin with the one you reach the fastest:

Base 1: northwest of the center base
Base 2: west of the center base
Base 3: south of the center base

When you approach a base, two Paladin Cannons will great you first, immediately followed by an outfall of tanks and cybers. The key is to attack with all forces, kill the first Paladin Cannon, then direct the Tanks at the front against enemy Tanks and Cybers, the Guardians attacking the Paladin Cannons from the side (if possible) and the Artillery supporting your tanks against the Tanks and Cybers. Pause often with F3 to keep an eye on the hit points of your units and retreat wounded tanks and the Guardians. Do not target the tower. Eliminate the mobile units, then retreat, let a tank spot and the Artillery target the tower, the tank retreating until they are done. When the tower is gone, kill a second tower if there is one hindering you, advance until you see the fortress and destroy it with around 2-3 Artillery volleys. The destruction of the fortress will cause all buildings and walls to disappear. If there are units inside left, they will not vanish, but they will stay there, so since they are no threat, economize time and immediately retreat to the center base.

Between battles, keep an eye on your economy and give some orders. When you start with the northwestern base, afterwards you can already send Citizens to gather the resources in the north.

Unite the attack force with the reinforcements from the main base, send all units in need of healing to the Hospital and scramble for the next base. Now all upgrades should be done, which helps you with the next battle.

After around 15 minutes you should have eliminated all three bases. There will be an accomplishment game message and from now on there will be occasionally roaming rebel patrols that are completely inoffensive since they have only a "move" order. For the rest of the scenario, you can play relaxed.

Phase 2: Resources and Space Dock[]

Focus on resources: In this phase, the most important thing is to concentrate on your economy and execute the above-described list. When all drop-off points are built and every patch has 6 Citizens working, and perhaps a dozen Citizens chopping wood, you can think about other things. During this process, use the TAB key to faster find idling Citizens.
Help for your ally: around 18:25 (use F11 to display game time in the top bar at the right), your Japanese ally requests support with some military units. One of their Helicopter Transports will arrive and pick up a certain number of Guardians (probably 9). Immediately send more Guardians there so that there are again 12 of them waiting for the next pick up. That will happen around 57:00 and you will probably end the scenario before this, if you follow this walkthrough, but do it just do be sure.
Defense: You will see only occasional inoffensive rebel patrols with a few units. They are there for atmospheric purposes. Divide your 20 Tanks into four groups of 5 and position them in a large perimeter around your center base to intercept them. Immediately set your Artillery to scout mode so they do not shoot at your own units, and let them idle at the center base. If you are bored with your humming resource gathering machine, you can go to the ruins of the rebel bases and kill what units may be left there.
Space Dock: To deliver the resources to your Mars Colony, you need a working Space Dock at full hit points. You can build Space Docks only at the "edge" of space. When you build a Space Dock at your western base, it will be attacked after around 5 minutes by a Space Carrier sending 3 Space Fighters. There are two ways to deal with this: Either build the Space Dock late – after the 10-minute reminder of the game, you should have enough resources to send both deliveries in short succession, so you will not experience any attack. Or, if you are curious about how the new space units look like and work, wait with the second delivery until you see the attack and defend the Space Dock with some beforehand-built AA Missile Towers and your 4 Skywatchers (both with some upgrades). After the defense, you will have to repair the Space Dock.
Resource deliveries: To deliver resources to your colonists, you use the allies & tribute menu. The delivery is about 10,000 resources, but since there is a leak in this process, you have to send some more so the colonists actually receive the requested amount. An addition of around 10% is needed, so send 11,000 resources.

Immediately after the second delivery, you win the scenario.